The present invention relates to a secured dispenser for rolled material such as paper towels or toilet tissue, and more particularly, a secured dispenser incorporating an axial rod which is inserted through openings in the arms of the dispenser and through the interior cavity of the rolled material, such that the rolled material may be locked into place without inhibiting dispensing of the rolled material.
The present invention relates to rolled materials which utilize an interior cavity around which the material is rolled. Some examples of such rolled materials, include paper towels or toilet tissue which utilize a cardboard center as the interior cavity.
There are many devices for dispensing and holding rolled materials such as paper towels or toilet tissue. It is common for many of these devices to incorporate an axial rod which is inserted through an opening, or indentation, in at least one end of the dispenser and through the rolled material being dispensed. A problem with known dispensers is that the rod becomes loose and thus the rolled material does not stay in place in the dispenser.
There are other dispensers which incorporate tension to aid in maintaining the rolled material in place between the arms of the dispenser. A problem with the frequent use of this type of known dispenser is that the arms become worn and lose their tension capability. The result is that the rolled material continually falls from the dispenser onto a countertop or the floor.
Another problem solved by the present invention is the ability of "one-hand" usage. With the known dispensers, a user is required to use both hands to pull off any of the rolled material. For example, one hand would hold the edge of the material which is being dispensed and the other hand would hold the material in place so that only a single or two sheets would come off instead of many sheets or the entire material becoming unrolled with the pull of one hand.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rolled material dispenser having an axial rod which locks the rolled material in place until manually unlocked by the user but which does not inhibit dispensing of the rolled material. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rolled material dispenser which allows for one hand operation. These, and additional objects, advantages, features, and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.